


One-Hundred Eleven

by Mictecacihuatl



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Post-War, Bending (Avatar), F/F, Fallout 4 AU, alternate universe - United States
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-14
Updated: 2016-03-19
Packaged: 2018-05-13 21:06:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5717089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mictecacihuatl/pseuds/Mictecacihuatl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Korra's world is changed overnight when the nuclear bombs hit Boston, Massachusetts. It happens very quickly, then very slowly. She wakes up from a cryogenic sleep over two hundred years after the bombs fell to a new world, and new powers. She has to navigate through the Wasteland, trying to understand bending, and trying to locate someone she loves. There are whispers of a sinister organization - The Institute - that lies below Boston and follows the new Equalist philosophy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for popping in and giving this a read. I'm super excited about this fic! This is my second crack at a LoK fic (I was incredibly unhappy with the other one), and I have a good feeling about it. I've been wasting away my days behind the Xbox playing Fo4, and one sleepless night (much like this one) I thought "damn, this would make a great universe for a LoK fic" and so... This happened. 
> 
> Fair warning there is violence, a major death right from the start, and quite a lot of swearing. This is a Korrasami fic, yes, but Asami won't pop in until a few chapters into it. It'll be well worth the wait, I promise. 
> 
> Anyway, enough of my rambling. 
> 
> Enjoy!  
> xx Mictec

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bombs drop. The vault is cold.

**Sanctuary Hills**  
**Boston, Massachusetts**  
**October 23rd 2077**

Korra hit the punching bag with as much ferocity as she could muster. Her tournament was tomorrow, and she had to push herself, she couldn’t allow herself to fall behind. Her father had come home to watch her fight, after all. She grunted with each hit, and sweat dripped down her brow. It was an unusually sunny day in Boston, and the heat was starting to get to her.   
“Miss Korra, some ice cold water for you!” A robot floated towards her, extending one of its metallic arms out. “Wouldn’t want you to faint out here today, not with your big competition coming up and all!” She stopped punching the bag, and reached for the water, smiling at the robot as she did.   
“Thanks, Codsworth. Don’t know what we’d do without you. "  
“My pleasure, Miss Korra. Oh! Ms. Senna and Mr. Tonraq would like to see you when you have a moment.” Korra nodded and downed her water before heading inside to see her parents.   
“Hey guys, what’s going on?” She plopped herself on the bright red couch in front of the television.   
“Hey kiddo,” her father said. “Listen, we just had a Vault-Tec rep knock on our door. Turns out that we’ve automatically got access to the local vault thanks to my military service."  
“You mean one of those nuclear fallout shelters?”   
“Yeah, one of those. Things are really tense right now Korra, we thought it would be a good idea to have a backup plan just in case something does happen."  
“Dad, come on, nothing’s going to happen. The Reds would’ve bombed us by now.”   
“Korra, your father’s right. It’s better to know that we’ll be safe, in any event."  
“Yeah, yeah. I just don’t think it’ll be necessary,” she sighed. “When do you have to go back to Alaska, dad?”   
“Couple days, kid.” He put his hands up to stop her from speaking further. “I know I told you I would try to be here for at least a week, but like I said, things are tense right now. The PLA is really pushing us hard right now. We’re getting worried.”   
“I get it, I just wish we could spend more time together. Whatever, it’s fine, I’m gonna go take a shower."

Korra washed the sweat and aches of her exercise away in a cold shower. She dressed for the day, in high waisted slacks and a deep blue button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up past her elbows. She sat at her desk and flipped the radio on, allowing the sound of Louis Armstrong to drown out everything else. It was a pretty wonderful world, despite everything going on with the war. She was scratching away at the paper, working on her last big school assignment for the semester, losing herself in her work. She hated it, sure, but it was something that had to be done. 

Not even thirty seconds after she sat down, she could hear Codsworth calling out to her and her parents over the music.   
“Mum, Sir, Korra, you should see this.” He sounded frantic, and was enough for her to walk out of her room to see what was going on. The news was switched on, and there were… reports of bombs being dropped? No. Impossible. Senna stood open-mouthed next to Tonraq, whose eyes were blown wide in fear.   
“Girls, we have to get to the vault. Now. GO!” He screamed as he threw open their front door. Her neighbours were in different states of panic, but hardly any of them were prepared. Chelsea and Addison, her favourite neighbours, held onto each other as tightly as they could.   
“Damned Reds!” She heard Addison yell. Korra was on autopilot at that point, and ran past them, following her parents down the hill and over the stream that ran behind Sanctuary Hills. When they got to the vault, soldiers in power armour wielding miniguns directed them where to go. There was a man in a blue jumpsuit and bulletproof vest checking them in.   
“What about the people outside of the gate? What’s going to happen to them?” Korra asked as they were let past the chainlink gate.  
“We’re doing everything we can for them. Follow me!” They ran past the armoured guards and were led to a gear-shaped platform with the number “111” painted on it.   
“Korra, are you alright?” Tonraq asked her, pulling her closer to him.   
“Yeah I’m fine, just wondering what’s ha-“ her sentence was cut off by an explosion in the distance. 

“SEND THEM DOWN! SEND THEM DOWN NOW!” 

Korra caught a glimpse of the mushroom cloud as the platform descended. 

The thunderous wind from the explosion was roaring outside, and it echoed through the chamber, nearly completely drowning out the screaming and crying of the rest of the people that made it to the vault. 

• • •

“We just need you to put this vault suit on, get you checked out by the doctor, and you’ll be all set to continue onto phase two after depressurisation. Your parents are already in their suits waiting for their medical exam,” the Overseer said.   
“Fine.” Korra walked over to the makeshift changing room that was set up in the corner of the room. She took her shoes off and shivered at the cold of the metal floor. She shed the rest of her clothes and pulled on the blue and yellow vault suit, which was tight enough for it to feel like a second skin. She slipped her feet back into her shoes, not bothering with the laces.   
“Korra, just give me your old clothes, and Dr. Geoff will escort you to the medical facility.” Korra just nodded and followed the man wearing the lab coat. She noticed the bright yellow geiger counter in his pocket. She spotted her parents and jogged towards them.   
“Hey kiddo, how’re you holding up?” Tonraq put an arm around her and pulled her close to his chest.   
“Oh, you know, about as well as everyone else that’s dealing with the fact that a nuclear bomb was dropped practically on top of us a couple hours ago."  
“That sounds about right. Look, we’ll be safe in here kiddo. There’s no need to worry anymore. The three of us are just fine.” Senna nodded at Tonraq’s reassuring words, but it felt as though they went right through Korra. She didn’t feel safe at all. She felt trapped. 

Inside the medical station, she noticed the doctors mixing various liquids together. Red, blue, white, and green all came together in a large conical flask and were mixed thoroughly to form a shining white liquid, with a dull blue glow. She watched her parents approach the doctor that called them in, and they both winced when they were injected with a small amount of the liquid. Korra was up next, and she sat on the cot on the left side of the room.   
“Hello, Miss Korra. We just need to check your vitals, get your weight, height, draw some blood, and give you this handy-dandy serum then you’re free to join your parents on the other side of the vault.” He took her vitals and measurements, drew some blood and stuck it into what she could only assume was something used to check the contents of her blood. She noticed the doctor’s eyebrows raise ever so slightly when he looked at the results on his terminal. “Just a moment, Miss Korra. I detected a small anomaly in your blood, I just need to go over the results again.” He typed some commands into his terminal and smiled at Korra when he was finished. “Well, everything looks just fine. Let me just prep the serum for you, and you’ll be all set!"  
“What, exactly, is that serum anyway? I saw you mixing a batch earlier."  
“Oh this, this is just something to help make sure all of the radiation is cleared from your blood, and it helps speed up tissue reparation and regrowth. It’s essentially a super stimpak and rad-away in one small little package. It will sting, though.” He filled the syringe with a significantly larger amount of liquid than she had seen anyone else get that day.   
“Uh, why am I getting so much of it compared to everyone else?"  
“You’re so observant, miss. That anomaly in your blood? Well, we just need to give you a little more to make sure it all goes away so you’re nice and healthy during your stay in the vault."  
“I, uh. Ok. Sure, whatever.”   
“Alrighty then, Miss Korra. I need you to take a deep breath in, just like that, very good, and now exhale."  
“Holy shit, that hurts,” Korra said through clenched teeth. It felt like her veins were on fire. “Saying it would sting is a massive understatement, are you sure it’s supposed to burn this much?"  
“Well, you got a higher dose, so that’s why. At any rate, you’re all set. Go ahead and continue down with the other residents.”  She hopped off the cot and went through the door at the back of the medical station. Her arm was burning even more now, and it was beginning to spread throughout her body. It felt like poison was running through her veins, and she was trying her best to stay upright. The rest of the dwellers were gathered in another room, which was lined with strange pods. The Overseer was making his way to the front of the room, along with one of the scientists Korra had seen earlier. The scientist whispered something to the Overseer and he looked up at Korra before speaking.   
“Hello, everyone. I know today’s events have been catastrophic, to say the least, but I am so very happy to have you all safe and secure within Vault 111. We at Vault-Tec are here to ensure your comfort and safety while you get settled in your new home. Before we begin, we need all of you to line up in two separate lines, with your family members. We will be checking your names off of our final list, then you will be led into one of the pods you see lined against the wall. This will do the final decontamination and depressurisation before we head further into the vault. Thank you for your cooperation.” Everyone moved to find their family members, and Korra walked over to her parents. The people that had gone through the final check were all situated in their pods, and Korra started to feel even more uneasy. The pain had spread to her toes and her chest, and was becoming nearly unbearable.   
“Urgh, mom, whatever they gave me stings like hell."  
“Your father and I are feeling it too. I’m sure it’s normal, Korra. We’re almost through now."  
“One male, two females. You’ve got your suits, this says you’re all checked up and have been injected, good. Uh just… hang on a moment, please.” The man going through the checklist walked to the Overseer and showed him the checklist. The Overseer read over it quickly, and simply nodded. “Okay, you’re good to go. Head on down. Korra, you’ll be taking the last pod on the left side of the room. Senna and Tonraq, you’ll be taking the last two pods on the right side of the room. Please ensure you’re comfortable in the pod before we close them for decontamination, as it may take a few minutes.”   
Korra stepped into her pod and leaned against the padded surface. It was surprisingly cold inside, and quite comfortable for it being so small. The door hissed and lowered, sealing her off from the rest of the dwellers. It was so quiet inside of the sealed pod, she could hear herself breathing. She heard a click, and   a vent opened up above and beneath her, releasing an extremely cold mist, and she felt herself freezing. 

• • • 

  
**Vault 111**  
**Boston, Massachusetts**  
**Year: 2227**

Korra woke up in a haze. There were voices, loud, echoing voices that she couldn’t place. Her vision was still too blurry to really see much of anything. She blinked hard, and wiggled her fingers around. It was so cold in her pod, and her teeth were chattering. She was starting to make out the shapes of people standing outside of her parent’s pods. 

“These are the ones, here,” someone in a clean room suit was pointing at pods Tonraq and Senna were held in.   
“Open them,” another man said. The doors of the pods hissed and opened. Korra’s parents coughed, and stepped down from their pods, and looked at the people who released them.   
“Is it over? Are we ok?” Senna asked.   
“Almost,” the mysterious man said to her. “Everything’s going to be fine. We need you to come with me."  
“What about Korra? Our daughter. Where is she?"  
“She’s fine, sir. She’s still in her cryo-pod.”   
“Cryo-pod? What? Who are you? You’re not Vault-Tec.” Tonraq demanded.   
“No, we aren’t. Vault-Tec had to hand over the operation of the vault to us. Now please, come with us.”   
“No. Not without Korra.” Tonraq ran over to Korra’s pod and tried to lift the emergency release bar. “Korra! Korra, are you ok? I’ll get you out of there.” Korra found that she couldn’t speak, she was still too cold.   
“Sir, step away from the pod. I’m only going to tell you once.” The mysterious man had a gun pointed at Tonraq’s back.   
“NO! Not without my daughter! Not without Ko-“   
A shot rang through the room, and Tonraq fell against the pod.   
“What a waste. At least we still have the woman.” Senna was screaming, trying to get to Tonraq’s body which now lay lifeless on the floor. “Sedate her. Refreeze this one. Let’s go.” 

As Korra felt herself freezing again, she couldn’t help but think Louis Armstrong was wrong. 

It wasn’t a very wonderful world at all. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah. Ouch. Sorry about that.
> 
>  
> 
> Got any questions? Hit me up here: baron-plucky.tumblr.com
> 
> Shit I just realized that none of the bolded or italicized text showed up, so I'm sorry if things are confusing! If you think something is Korra's, uh, thoughts, you're probably right. I'll fix it when I'm not extremely sleep deprived and coughing up a lung. Being sick ain't fun.


	2. Two.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra wakes up again, and discovers something new about herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to get this up asap so you guys can see where I'm going with this. Also, I'm impatient. 
> 
> Enjoy!  
> xx Mictec

**Vault 111**  
**Boston, Massachusets**  
**(Year Unknown)**

There was a loud hissing. The sound of the cryo-pod being opened. It was the first thing Korra was able to focus on when she woke up.   
The second thing was the feeling of warmth returning to her toes.   
The third was the panic that shot through her.   
She was coughing; stretching her lungs after god-knows-how-long was a little strenuous. She stepped out of the pod when she noticed her father's was shut, even though his blood still stained hers. She wiped the frost off the glass and choked back a sob when she looked inside and saw Tonraq's lifeless body. She frantically searched for some sort of manual override when the release button wouldn't work. The latch at the bottom of the pod was frozen solid.   
"No, no, no, no. Dad. DAD!" Korra cried. She kicked the pod, hoping that some of the ice would fall away from it, but it was no use. She sat in front of her own pod, slumped on the floor in defeat. _If only I could move the damned ice, I could get him out of there_. She balled her hands into fists and slammed them against her thighs. "I need to get out of here."   
Korra walked out of the pod room and into the hallway of the vault. The lights were flickering, letting off barely enough light to brighten the path. She saw something scutter away out of the corner of her eye, and shrugged it off when the movement ceased. She took a few more steps until she crossed paths with the creature again. "Giant roaches? What the hell?" The bug lunched at her, and when she thrust her hands out to block the attack, a burst of fire erupted from her palms, charring the roach. "What the fuck was that? How did... How did I do that?" Korra wondered aloud. "What did they do to me?" She found an old security baton and used it to kill the radroaches she came across on her way to the Overseer's office. She found his skeletal remains stil sitting at his desk. _How long has he been here? How long have I been frozen? Is this all that's left?_ She pushed him off the chair, muttering an apology under her breath. His terminal still had power. 

\------------

**Welcome to  ROBCO Industries (TM) Termalink**  
**Clearance: Overseer Eyes Only**  
**[VAULT 111 OVERSEER INSTRUCTIONS]**  
**[Cryolator]**  
**[Operation’s Protocol Manual]**  
**[Overseer’s log]**  
**[Open Evacuation Tunnel]**

She clicked on the 'Overseer Instructions’ option.  
\------------  
**CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL**  
**OVERSEER EYES ONLY | VIOLATION VTP-01011**

Vault 111 is designed to test the long-term effects of an experimental serum (R.A.A.V.A.) developed by Vault-Tec on unaware, human subjects. The serum is designed to give the subject control of one (or more) element by altering their genetic makeup. Fire, water, air, and earth are the base elements. Elemental control can be passed down to offspring. There is a theory that when a rare genetic anomaly is found, the subject may be able to control more than one, or all of the elements. After injection, the subjects should unknowingly be put into a cryogenic stasis until further research can be conducted. Your staff will be on short-term assignment to mix the serum, and monitor basic cardiopulmonary and cognitive functions. Long-term monitoring will be handled remotely by Vault-Tec technicians. 

After the designated research period is over (10 years), subjects that have successfully adapted to the serum and shown their ability to control the elements to a satisfactory level should be released and reintegrated into society, if there is an existing society outside of the vault. 

Under no circumstances is suspension to be disrupted until the designated period of time is over. This includes the administration of life-saving measures. Your staff is also considered expendable. Insubordination or attempts to evacuate prematurely are capital violations. Unused cryogenic pods are the preferred method for cadaver disposal.   
\-------------  
“Elemental control? How is that possible?” Korra stared at her hands, and tried to summon a flame again. _Nothing. I wonder why_. She clicked on the ‘Operations Protocol Manual’ option next. 

\-------------  
**Resident Admittance**

Upon Activation Notice from Vault-Tec, all personnel are required to report to the Entry Area and assist with admittance of Vault Residents. Security Personnel will maintain order and ensure that no personnel or residents attempt to evacuate the vault. 

Research staff will be responsible for resident intake and escort each to the medical station for injection, and then to their designated cryogenic pod. Residents not accounted for in the manifest should be asked to step aside and detained forcefully by security of necessary. 

Once all residents have been sealed into their preservation chambers dispose of any detainees. Vault entryway must remain sealed under any circumstances. 

 **Staff Duties**  
Science Staff

  
          Members of the research team must daily monitor the vital signs of cryogenically preserved residents. Cardiopulmonary and cognitive activity in particular must be recorded hourly. After the unfreezing of a cryogenically preserved resident, the research team must monitor the effects of the serum and make note of which, if any, element can be controlled by said resident. Any changes in vital signs or elemental control must be recorded. If the subject becomes unstable, use of sedatives or force is authorised.   
          Life-saving intervention is only permitted if greater than 80% of the resident population has perished while in cryogenic suspension, and must not interrupt suspension.   
          Independent research is encouraged, and left to Overseer discretion. 

Security Personnel

  
          Security patrols are to be carried out on a constant eight-hour rotation. Security priorities include:  
               -Monitoring for signs of intrusion  
               -Checking for atmosphere leaks  
               -Settling disputes among personnel  
               -Enforcement of regulations set forth by the Overseer  
               -Enforcement of regulations set forth by Vault-Tec  
\-------------

Korra took a deep breath in, and exhaled slowly. She was trying her best to process the information on the terminal. _We were all just fucking guinea pigs. They didn't want to keep us safe_. She took another breath in and looked around, and headed towards the storage on the right side of the room. Two 10mm pistols, ammunition, and some bobby pins were still on the shelf. She grabbed everything, and thanked her father for teaching her how to load and use a gun. There was a glass case on the wall, with a master safety-lock keeping her away from it. The label read 'Cryolator Mk. I.' "Whoa." _Maybe I'll come back for this later_.   
She quickly walked over to the sealed tunnel door and tried to manually release it before realizing it was linked to the terminal.   
"Ok, here's hoping they didn't password this section, because I'm screwed if they did." 

\-------------  
**_Opening evacuation tunnel...._**  
**_Opening evacuation tunnel......_**  
**_Opening evacuation tunnel........_**

**The personnel evacuation tunnel is now open. Remind all staff to be orderly and follow shutdown protocols before exiting and re-sealing Vault 111.**  
**Please maintain all staff records and research. Report to your local Vault-Tec superiors for debriefing and further instruction.**

\-------------

"Yes!" She fist-pumped and ran through the now-opened door. A few dead radroaches later, and she was standing before the vault entryway. Korra had to step over the skeletal remains of her old neighbors to get to the control platform past the radiation analysis equipment. She pressed the red button, and became frustrated when it didn't work. _Oh, looks like it's a computerized system. I need a Pip-Boy for this_. She looked around the room, and stumbled backward, tripping over one of the skeletal scientists who still had a Pip-Boy attached to his arm. "Ugh. Sorry. I need this more than you do." She picked it up and winced when his arm detached, and opened the latch. It took a few seconds to boot up, and she wiped the dust off of the screen with her thumb. She attached the command cable to the vault's door control terminal and sighed in relief when she heard the creaking of the door. The vault door was gigantic. Made of pure steel, with a faded yellow "111" in the center, it was shaped like a giant gear. She watched in awe as it was pulled backwards by a magnetic mechanism and rolled off to the side. The bridge expanded from the inner vault platform to the entryway of the gear-shaped elevator, which was slowly descending to the bottom of the chamber. She stepped onto it, and the safety fence closed, effectively sealing her away from the vault again. The elevator started its ascent, and Korra couldn't help but feel anxious. 

The outside was familiar enough to not shock Korra, but it didn't keep the sinking feeling in her stomach from expanding to her chest. It was off. The ground felt harder, and the plants were overgrown. There was something strange about the air, too. It felt different. It felt wrong. 

She ran to Sanctuary Hills, and came to a dead stop as it came into view. Her neighborhood - her home - was in ruins. She walked towards her home in a haze, unable to take in her surroundings completely. The faded colors, the rusting metal, the dead trees in a once lush area...she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Then she arrived at her home. It was a husk of its former self; a cruel reminder of what life was meant to be for her until it was literally blown apart. Small things still remained. Broken picture frames, patches of carpet, her broken bed.

 She sat on the floor of her room and stared at the wall. 

Then a noise from the kitchen startled her, and she reached for her gun, crouching low as she walked over. She caught a glimpse of silver and cocked her gun, aiming in the direction of the metal. When she rose to fire, she stopped in her place. 

"As I live and breathe! It's...it's really you!" The floating hunk of metal with a thick British accent asked her. 

"Codsworth?" She was damn close to hugging him. "You're still here! Oh, thank the spirits, that means other people could be alive too." 

"Why of course I'm still here! Surely you don't think a little radiation could deter the pride and joy of General Atomics International? But you seem the worse for wear. Best not let your parents see you in that state, eh? Where are they anyway?"

"Dad's...dad's in a better place. Mom's been taken." 

"Miss Korra, these things you're saying, these...terrible things...I believe you need a distraction. Yes! A distraction to calm this dire mood!" Korra clenched her jaw and made a fist. 

"Codsworth, I don't _need_ a distraction. I need to figure out what the hell is going on. Last thing I remember seeing was dad get shot, and mom taken by someone in a hazmat suit, and now everything is in ruins and I can apparently _fucking shoot fire from my hands_!" She was near hysterical now, biting back the tears that were nearly falling from her eyes. 

"Oh, Miss Korra, it's worse than I thought. You're suffering from...hunger-induced paranoia. Not eating properly for two hundred years will do that, I'm afraid." Korra let out a shaky breath she didn't realize she was holding in. 

"T-two hundred years? Are you... Codsworth, are you sure? That's... Impossible." 

"A bit over two hundred and ten actually, mum. Give or take a little for the Earth's rotation and some minor dings in the ol' chronometer. That means you're ah, two centuries late for dinner! Ha ha ha. Perhaps I can whip you up a snack? You must be famished." 

"Two hundred years. T-two hundred years." Korra pressed her head against the wall. "Those bastards. Those fucking Vault-Tec bastards." She took a deep breath. "Codsworth, I need to find my mother. I need to...I need to go."

"I'm afraid I don't know much, mum. Perhaps... What about the city? Concord is nearby and, well, the people there have only shot at me a few times." 

"Shot at you? Spirits, Codsworth. Fine, I'm leaving. I have to do this," Korra's stomach growled. "Maybe after that snack." 

After stuffing her face with some unknown charred meat Codsworth provided her with, she checked and double checked her guns before walking down the road towards Concord. As she was passing by the Red Rocket Truck Stop she noticed a pair of white ears sticking out from behind the counter. They twitched when her shoes crunched on the asphalt. Curiosity got the best of her, and she walked towards the building. She wasn't sure what it was she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't the giant white beast that pinned her down and licked her face.

"Whoa, whoa, easy, I could've shot you." The dog stepped aside, its tail wagging and tongue hanging out of its mouth. "Where's your owner, girl? You all alone?" The dog whined. "Okay, you can stick with me if you want. I'm all alone too." The pup's ears perked up and she nudged Korra with her head, and Korra was more than happy to scratch between her ears. Their moment was interrupted by the dog growling lowly and darting outside. Korra readied her gun and followed. She felt them before she saw them, trembling beneath her feet. A mole rat popped out of the ground and ran straight towards her, and she put a bullet in its head. "Whaaaat the hell was that?!" Two more popped out of the ground. She kicked one away, and the dog latched onto the other, providing Korra with a steady shot. She poked at the dead mole rats and shuddered. "Ugh, I didn't even like these things when they were small. Fucking radiation." The dog cantered over to her, and Korra rubbed its snout. "You sure are something, pooch. C'mon, I've got to get to Concord." The dog barked and happily walked by Korra's side.

 

**Museum of Freedom**

**Concord, Massachusets**

**Year 2287**

 "Shit!" Korra hissed. Raiders were everywhere, and she learned they were unfriendly the hard way. She took cover behind an old car, and reloaded her weapon. She popped out and aimed her gun at one of the raiders, but before she could pull the trigger he was taken out by a bolt of lightning. "Whatthefuck." Her day just kept getting stranger and stranger. She looked in the direction that the lightning came from and saw two men, right around her age. They both looked similar, but one was wearing a red scarf and black coat with eyebrows that reminded her of shark fins. The other was wearing a green shirt, and he was bulkier.  They weren't holding weapons, so she assumed it was some sort of freak accident. The man in red shook his head and went inside. 

"Hey! You! We could use your help in here!" The remaining man on the balcony called out to her. "You can really handle yourself and there's a bunch of raiders in here. They've got us cornered, and we don't have enough manpower to fight them off!" Korra hesitated for a moment before replying.   
"Uh, okay!"   
"Great! Are you a bender?!"   
"A what?!"  
"A bender!"   
"I don't...I don't know what that is!"   
"That's ok! Just pick up that gun! You've got to crank it to make it work, but it's powerful enough to take someone down in one hit. You and Dogmeat should be able to take them no problem! I'll help you where I can!"   
"Okay!" Korra nodded and positioned herself by the double doors. She patted the dog quickly, cranked up the gun, and turned the handle.   
She had been to the museum once before, with her parents. Her father was always eager to share some military history with her, so he brought her on opening day. She felt a twinge of pain in her heart as she laid her eyes on the ruined interior of the museum. The floor was collapsed, and rubble covered the ground. She could make out the faint sound of old recorded information playing on speakers that should've died out long ago. She was brought back to the situation at hand by the incessant banging of a door a few floors above her.   
"Come on out, we won't bite, we just wanna talk. You're cornered in there anyway, what's the harm in just letting us in, huh?"   
Korra moved quickly through the museum, taking down the raiders with ease once she got used to the rifle. Finally, she got to the two raiders situated outside of the barricaded door. The dog lunged forward and knocked one of them over, and Korra used her 10mm to shoot the other one in the leg. She didn't want to risk a misfire of the laser rifle penetrating the door and accidentally killing someone. She used the butt of the rifle to knock the other raider unconscious. She knocked on the door.   
"Uh, yeah, hey I uh...cleared out those raiders for you. It's safe to open the door now." She could hear a muffled argument coming from inside the room, before the door finally swung open. The man in the red scarf stared her down with a scowl on his face.   
"Do not make me regret opening this door."   
"I...uh. I won't?" She stepped through the door as the man moved aside. "You're welcome, by the way. Y'know, for the raiders. Could've gotten myself killed and all." She mumbled, mostly to herself.   
"Hey! Yeah! Thanks for that, sorry about my brother, he doesn't trust very easily."   
"And you trust too easily." Shark brows fired back. Green ignored his brother.   
"Anyway, I'm Bolin. Mr. Grumpy over there is my brother, Mako. These folks here," he gestured to the small group of people in the room, "are some of the settlers we've been protecting. We're the Minutemen."   
"The Minutemen? Ok, so I have effectively stepped back in time now. Wonderful."   
"Oh, no, we just liked the way the historical Minutemen operated. Mako and I don't really use the old weaponry anyway. We're benders so--"   
"Bolin, shut up. You can't just go around announcing that to everyone."  
"B-but she helped us."   
"I don't care if she helped us, you need to be more careful." Mako was shooting daggers at his brother, who recoiled slightly. Korra rubbed the back of her neck, as she was starting to feel uneasy.   
"Hey, guys, so...not to poke around or anything but...what the hell are you talking about? Bending? What is that?" The brothers turned to her, their faces full of disbelief. The old woman in blue spoke in their place.   
"Just as I saw. You're out of time. I knew Dogmeat here would bring you along, and I'm glad she did before this got too confusing for you. She doesn't usually take to people, but I can see she'll stick with you now."   
"Uh...okay?" The woman turned to Bolin and Mako, whose expressions were now unreadable.   
"Boys, explain to her what bending is. She's being honest when she says she doesn't know."  
"How do you not know? Everyone knows by now." Mako asked with an accusatory tone.   
"I'm not...from around here? Well, not exactly, anyway. I was in a vault for a while." Korra said nervously.  
"Well, we can see that." Mako gestured to her vault suit. He sighed and sat down. "Look, we need your help again, and then we'll explain everything to you. The raiders are probably regrouping outside. There's a power armor inside of an old pre-war vertibird that's sitting on the roof. It just needs a fusion core. There's one in the basement. Get the fusion core, stick it in the power armor, and you should be able to rip the minigun right off of the vertibird. Clear out the rest of the raiders, and I'll tell you everything."   
"That seems like a pretty shitty deal to me, Mako." Korra said with a raised eyebrow.   
"Yeah? Well then you won't get an explanation for this," he summoned fire to his palm and Korra gasped. "Any time soon."   
"How did - Ugh! Fine. I'll clear the damn raiders. But I'm keeping the power armor!" 

She stomped off to find the fusion core, with the oversized pup at her heels. 

 


	3. Three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little bit shorter than the last chapter, but gotta push along the story somehow!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> xx Mictec

**Museum of Freedom**

**Concord, Massachusets**

**Year 2287**

 

Korra felt invincible in the power armor. Sure, it was a little rusty and a little stiff, but she just ripped a bolted minigun right off a vertibird and jumped off a four story building for chrissake. She was taking the raiders down as easily as she would stomp on a pile of ants. 

Unless the ants were irradiated. 

In that case, it wouldn't be easy at all. _Details_. 

She killed the last raider and was about to head back to the museum when she felt rumbling beneath her feet. She heard the scraping of metal and her eyes were drawn to the steel sewer cover, which was being pushed upwards. A blood-curdling roar erupted from the sewer as the grate came flying off, missing her by a few inches. Her eyes went wide as a gigantic dinosaur-like beast burst from the ground. _Oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!_ Korra took off in the opposite direction, but the shaking of the ground told her she was being followed by the giant reptile. She took a deep breath and aimed the minigun at it, cursing at the time it took for the weapon to warm up. The creature was only a few feet away from her when the bullets finally left the chambers. It reared its head back and swiped at the minigun, throwing it away from Korra, and it grabbed her. It lifted her above its head and screamed in her face, venom dripping from its teeth and splattering on her helmet. _Shitshitshitshit this is how I die. This is how I fucking die._ The reptile slammed her into the ground, knocking the wind right out of her lungs, and reared its head back again, letting out a viscious growl. _Nope. No. No way. Fuck._ It ran towards her and she raised her hands up, in an attempt to block the incoming attack. She felt the earth shake again, a single harsh tremor, and looked up to see the giant lizard launched in the air by a block of concrete and dirt protruding from the earth. "What the actual fuck? What the actual fuck." 

 

"I thought you said you weren't a bender." She turned around and came face-to-face with Mako, whose permanent scowl seemed to deepen. "You have to be a pretty powerful one to launch a Deathclaw like that. Why did you lie?" 

"I-I didn't lie. I didn't...I didn't know." 

"Whatever. Dogmeat seems to have taken a liking to you and she's more distrustful than I am, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. I still owe you that explanation anyway." Korra looked down at the giant dog and smiled to herself. 

"Does she belong to anyone?"

"Nah, Dogmeat just kind of roams around. I'm surprised she's stuck with you this long." 

"Dogmeat, huh? That's pretty morbid. You need a nicer name, yes you do. Hmmm. How about Naga? You like that, girl?" The dog barked playfully and rubbed herself against Korra's power armor. "Okay, Naga it is. C'mon, girl. Let's see what Mr. Grumpy has to teach us, huh? Yeah. Good girl." 

 

Korra left the power armor inside of the museum, by the main entrance, and followed Mako back to the room he and the others were holed up in. Bolin was smiling at the two of them as they entered, and Naga ran over to the woman in blue. 

"Korra! Mako! Glad you're both in one piece. Or two pieces. Individual pieces." 

"We get it, Bo." Mako said. 

"I can't believe you took down a Deathclaw all by yourself, Korra! That's was incredible! You told is you weren't a bender, though." Bolin's face scrunched up in confusion. 

"Bolin, I didn't know. It's happened once before, when I was coming out of the vault. I freaked out when these giant roaches started coming towards me and I shot fire out of my palms and roasted the thing. I freaked out, didn't know what was happening."

"Wait. You said you shot fire out of your palms? But you just earthbent. That's impossible. We can only bend one element, no more than that. I'm a firebender, Bo's an earthbender, and Mama Murphy here is a waterbender. None of us can bend more than one element. It's unheard of." 

"Oh, Mako, it's not as impossible as you think." Mama Murphy said as she scratched Naga's head. "You know I've seen this happen." 

"Mama Murphy, the sight is an estimate at best, we all know that." 

"Maybe, but what did I tell you three weeks ago, huh? About the girl who will be known as the Avatar?"

"That she'd present herself as a non bender but have far greater power than we thought possible. That's vague as hell, Mama. All we know for sure is that she can earthbend. We haven't seen her firebend yet."

"Uh, hello? Yeah, right here," Korra pointed to herself. "I know what happened, and I know it sounds far-fetched, but believe me all of this is new to me. I don't know the first thing about 'bending,' I don't even know how to control it. Both times it happened I was scared shitless. I'm trying to wrap my head around all of this too." 

"She's right, Mako, ease up on her a bit. Let's head over to sanctuary and get settled in, then we can talk about it more. She just saved our asses, we don't have to drill her right now." Bolin placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and raised an eyebrow at him. 

"Fine, Bo. Mama, you know the way from here, right? Okay, good. Sturges, grab your gear. Let's go." 

 

• • • 

 

**Sanctuary Hills**

****Boston, Massachusets** **

**Year 2287**

"So, what you're saying is that there's a whole group of scientists, spirits-know-where creating synthetic replacements for people they kidnap?" Korra asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"Uhh, yeah, pretty much! They're seen as the boogeymen of the wasteland, really. We don't really know a whole lot about them, but Opal's an expert! We should go to Diamond City so you can meet her!" Bolin brought his hands together in excitement, with a large smile on his face. 

"Bo here just wants to see his girlfriend," Sturgess drawled. 

"Hey, she is not my girlfriend. I..still haven't asked her out and even if I were to, she's probably too busy running the paper." 

"The paper?" Korra asked. 

"Oh, yeah! Opal runs a newspaper in Diamond City. She started it after there were whispers of kidnappings and replacement synths. She's s real do-gooder, wants nothing more than to help people. It's really admirable," Bolin said with a dreamy look on his face. 

"Like I said, he wants to see his girlfriend." 

"Shut it, Sturgess." Bolin threw a towel at him. 

"Hey, I'm just sayin', love ain't easy to find in the Wasteland, so you best get on it," Sturgess said as he walked away.

"Thanks for filling me in a bit, Bo. This is...a lot to take in still."

"No problem, Korra. I can tell you more tomorrow if you'd like."

"Yeah, sounds good. I'm gonna head inside," Korra pointed to her house over her shoulder.

"Sure, see you in the morning." 

 

Korra found Naga curled up in a corner of her old room. Codsworth had located a bedroll for Korra to sleep on that night, and she was grateful. It beat having to deal with a stiff back and a cold floor with centuries of grime caked onto it. If her mother could see it now, she'd be pissed. _Oh, mom,_ Korra thought. _I'll find you soon enough._ She drifted off to sleep, hoping this was all a terrible dream. 

 


	4. Four.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh, I'm so glad you're all enjoying this so far! It's really great to know my silly little idea is actually something you dig. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> xx Mictec

**Vault 111**

**Boston, Massachusets**

**Year 2287**

"When you said you had something to tell us, I didn't realize you needed to take us on a field trip to your vault," Mako huffed. 

"I just figured it'd be easier to show you rather than tell you." 

"Whatever you say." 

Bolin ran towards them and gave them a thumbs up. "Okay, that should do it. Let's step on the platform." 

Korra was suddenly overcome with anxiety as the elevator jolted downward. She shouldn't have come back. It was way too soon...but she needed to gain the brothers' trust if she wanted to learn more about bending, and this was the best way. She took a few deep breaths in through her mouth and exhaled through her nose until she felt calm enough to speak. The lift came to a halt and she stepped through the security gate. 

"Ok, before we go further into the vault, there are some things you need to know. First, this place has been abandoned for...I don't know how long. I was the only living person here when I woke up. Second, apparently I've been asleep, or, well, frozen for a little over two centuries. Wait, let me finish," she held up her hand when Mako tried to speak. "Third, I think... I think this is where bending originated, but I can't be sure. I'm showing you guys this because I want you to trust me. I need to know more about this and I can't do it alone, not when I don't have any experience with bending. I've been with you at Sanctuary for two weeks now, and seeing what you can do with it? I want to learn." Korra took a deep breath, and motioned for them to follow her. Mako was full of questions, which Korra simply said would be answered as they read through the Overseer's terminal. Bolin, on the other hand, was unusually quiet. He seemed to be absorbing his surroundings with a certain level of discomfort. Korra nervously played with the hem of her shirt (Mama Murphy kindly lent her a spare she held onto) as she waited for the brothers to finish combing through the terminal entries. Mako leaned back in the Overseer's chair and ran a hand through his hair. Bolin walked over to Korra and leaned down to embrace her in a bear hug. She stiffened at first, then reciprocated the hug to the best of her ability. It was hard to wrap her arms around the man when they were effectively pinned to her sides. 

"Okay," was all Mako said before standing up and walking back towards the elevator. Bolin let go of Korra and gave her a smile. 

"He needs some time to take it in. We always thought that bending was just something that came with the excessive exposure to radiation, not some experiment in a vault." He sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's get back to the surface. I'll teach you some earth bending  basics. It'll be fun!" 

"Yeah, okay Bo. Sounds good," Korra said with a half smile. She took a glance in the direction of the pod room, and silently greeted her father. 

 

• • • 

 

**Sanctuary Hills**

**Boston, Massachusets**

 

**Year 2287**

One week later 

"Holy crap, Korra. You're wearing me out. You're catching on," Bolin gasped for air, "really quickly." 

"Well, I _am_ pretty awesome." 

"No arguments from me. It took me years to form disks that well. You're- you're really a natural." He bent over and clutched his knees, "let's take a breather." 

"Yeah, sure, I think Mama Murphy wanted to show me a few more things. The healing has really been coming in handy." 

Korra walked into the yellow house situated across from hers, and found Mama Murphy relaxing in her favorite chair. Her eyes were closed, and she had her head tilted back. She would've thought the old woman was sleeping if she hadn't spoken to her. 

"Hey kid, bring some of that water over here. Let me see how you're doing with your healing." She opened her eyes and watched Korra as she moved the water between her hands, and curled it around her leg where a particularly nasty bruise from sparring with Bolin was forming. It faded within seconds. "Bolin's right, kid. You really are a natural," she sat forward now, looking Korra right in the eyes. "You know, I wasn't exactly sure when we'd find you, kid, but I'm glad it was now. We've got a big fight ahead of us, I can see it. There was another one like you, a while back. Another bender that could control more than one element." Korra perked up at that. 

"Really? Who were they?" 

"His name was Aang. Strange boy, but always smiling. He was older than me by a few years, traveled with a couple of other kids from just outside of the Commonwealth. He was a sort of an urban legend; the boy who could control all of the elements. He wandered around the wasteland helping people out when he could. He was killed a few years ago, in Diamond City. It was a real sad day. He helped build DC from the ground up. His wife Katara, the girl he traveled with, she still lives in Diamond City. She's the one that taught me how to heal. Best waterbender I've ever come across, that one. You should go to her. They need you in Diamond City more than we need you here, kid." 

"I can't just up and leave, Mama Murphy. This is my home, I've gotta help out around here." 

"Nah, kid. You made it possible for us to be here, you've helped plenty. Trust me when I tell you they need you there. Something big's coming soon. Besides, I think you'll meet someone that'll make you feel less lonely there. Might be the wasteland, but we all need someone." 

 

• • •

 

**Diamond City**

**Boston, Massachusets**

 

**Year 2287**

Korra stood outside of the gates of Diamond City, and clenched her fist. Last time she was here was with her parents, during one of the rare times Tonraq was able to come home. Now security guards in umpire uniforms wielding pipe guns watched over the entrance of the worn out stadium. Bolin and Naga had come with her. Mako opted to stay back in Sanctuary to keep an eye on the settlers, and make sure they made some progress with the shelter they had begun building. She followed Bolin to the turnstile, where one of the guards gave them a once-over and gestured for them to walk through. They walked down the stairs and into the marketplace, where Korra just stood and stared. 

"You okay, Korra?" Bolin asked with sincere concern in his voice. 

"Y-yeah. I just...wow. I...fuck, it's just a lot to take in right now. I'm sorry, I should be used to this by now." 

"Hey, no, it's ok," he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "After all you've been through, you can't expect to be ok right away. It's going to take a long time to adjust, especially because these are all places you've seen in a completely different way before. Come with me, I'll buy you some noodles." 

The noodles that Narook made, (the reprogrammed protectron that only utters a single enthusastic word in Japanese) were surprisingly delicious. They fulfilled Korra's need for something fresh and hot, that wasn't some sort of roadkill or gigantic insect. She was finishing her second bowl when she heard someone call out for Bolin. 

"Opal! It's so good to see you again!" Bolin embraced the small woman in a bear-hug, and she nuzzled her nose against his neck. 

"Bo, it's been so long. I was getting worried."

"Yeah, well," he rubbed the back of his neck, "things got a little crazy for a while. You remember last time we passed through here with the settlers? There's only four of them now. We almost lost everyone a few weeks ago, but my new friends here saved the day." Bolin grabbed Opal's hand and led her to where Korra was seated at the bar. "Opal, this is Korra, our lovely savior. The big white fluff is Naga, our lovely savior's equally lovely pooch." 

"Umph, hey," Korra said in between slurping up her noodles. 

"Hi, Korra. It's nice to meet you. Welcome to our little piece of wasteland. I'd say it's a little slice of heaven, but the corruption here runs pretty deep nowadays." 

"Corrupftion?" The avatar asked, with a noodle still hanging from her mouth. 

"Unfortunately," Opal looked at Bolin with her eyebrows furrowed. "Mayor Raiko is being a shitbag again. He says I'm being slanderous by pointing out the fact that the kidnappings have increased tenfold since the ghouls have been kicked out of the city. Heh, he's trying to shut me down again." 

"Jeez, Opal. I'm sorry he's so mean about it. You just want people to be aware of what's going on."

"Exactly! At least my aunt is keeping him off my back."

"How is Lin doing, anyway?" 

"She's her usual self. Grumpier now that Kya is out on another one of her 'adventures.'" 

"Oh, Korra, Lin is Opal's aunt. She's the head of security here," Bolin explained.

"Huh, and you run that paper, right?" Korra directed her question to Opal, who simply nodded. "Cool." 

"Ope, we need to see Katara. Is she around?"

"Oh, uh, yeah she should be at her place. I think Tenzin and Pema are here with the kids too, you should go say hello." 

"Great! Thanks, Ope." Bolin leaned over and kissed her cheek, which caused a blush to spread over her face. 

"I uh, you, uh...you're welcome, Bo."

Korra finished the last of her noodles and swung around so she could properly face the two of them.

"You guys are gross. In a good way." She hopped off the stool and dusted off her pants. "Let's go see this Katara person, shall we?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was originally a lot longer, but I decided to split it. In doing so, I've already completed a big chunk of the next chapter... so that'll be up soon. 
> 
> Keep the feedback coming!


	5. Five.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I dunno how I feel about this chapter, so you tell me how you feel about this chapter.  
> You the best.  
> The. Best. 
> 
> xx Mictec

 

 

**Diamond City**

**Boston, Massachusets**

**Year 2287**

 

Bolin and Opal led Korra to a large shack on the far side of Diamond City, near the water supply. It's the biggest one in town, according to Opal. 

 

"That's one of the benefits of being a founder of the city," she said. "Plus her son comes to visit with his wife and kids often enough to really need the space." 

Bolin knocked on the door, and when it opened two kids riding...something ( _balls of air? What the hell?_ ) came flying out the door, screaming and whooping. A third, taller, skinny girl with dark brown hair pulled up in a lopsided half bun called after them. "Ikki! Meelo! Come back inside! Dad's gonna kill you!" 

"No way, Jinora! We're tired of being inside, we wanna pla-ay," said the younger girl. 

"Yeah, Jinora!" Added the small, bald boy. The tall one, Jinora, sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. 

"I'm so sorry, my siblings are a bit out of control at best. It's good to see you Opal." She looked past Opal to Bolin and smiled. "Bolin! I haven't seen you in forever!" 

"Hey Jinora," he stepped forward and gave her one of his signature bear hugs. "I'm sorry it's been so long. Things got a little complicated for a while." 

"That's ok, I'm just glad you're safe. Where's Mako?" 

"He's back at this new settlement we're working on."

"Oh, ok, cool. So who's your friend?" She smiled at Korra. 

"Oh! Right, this is Korra. She helped Mako and I out when we were in a pickle a few weeks ago. We're actually here because we need to see your grandmother." 

"Hey," Korra waved shyly.

"Why? She looks fine, I don't think gramgram needs to fix her up." 

"It's more of a training thing..."

"Ohhh, got it, got it. Just head on in, she's talking to my parents in the living room. I've got to keep an eye on Meelo and Ikki." 

"Thanks, Jinora," Korra said. She turned to Naga and scratched her ears. "You've gotta stay out here for a little bit, ok girl? Be nice." Naga whined, but plopped herself down next to the door. Jinora asked if she could pet her, and went to do so as soon as Korra gave her the go-ahead. 

They stepped through the door and into Katara's home, which was surprisingly immaculate. If not for the wooden walls, Korra would've felt as though she stepped back in time. It was bright, and decorated with paintings and knick-knacks dating both pre and post-war; carvings, picture frames filled with drawings of her family, a Nuka-Cola truck toy, and some dried flowers in a bowl. It made Korra long for a place like this to call her own again. They found Katara down the hall, talking to a tall, pale bald man with a beard and sky blue arrow tattoo on his head, going down the back of his neck. He was in orange and red robes, much like the petite woman sitting next to him. Across was an old woman, who Korra assumed was Katara, dressed in blues of different shades, with long grey hair, and laugh lines carved into her face. The pendant that hung from her neck seemed oddly familiar. 

"Mother, I am telling you, the man won't budge. He is incredibly irritating. I don't know how he was appointed such a position in the first place." The bald man said. 

"I know, Tenzin. Raiko is hard to get along with."

"That's putting it lightly, mother. I just don't see the logic behind the ghoul ban. It's completely unethical!" He pulled at his beard and leaned back into the sofa. 

Opal cleared her throat, and the three of them turned to look at her. Katara stood and smiled brightly at Opal. 

"Opal, it's always nice to have a Beifong in my home. Is that you, Bolin?" She patted his stomach, "you need to eat more. You've gotten skinny. And who is your friend?"

"Good to see you, Master Katara." Bolin said. "This is Korra. Sh- we, wanted to see you." 

"Ah, well it is nice to meet you, Korra. Please, come, sit with us. We were just discussing Raiko's latest stupid decision." Opal stifled a laugh. "This is my son, Tenzin, and his wife Pema," she motioned to the couple in orange. 

"It's so good to meet all of you. You have such a lovely home."

"Thank you...Korra, was it?" Tenzin asked, and Korra nodded. "It is always nice to see a new face around here." 

"Thank you, Tenzin." 

"So, Korra," Katara began. "What brings you here today? Do you need some healing?" 

"Oh, uh, no, no I'm...I'm ok. I just," she fidgeted  in her seat. "Mama Murphy sent me. She thought you might be able to help me with my waterbending." 

"Murphy the Madwoman? I haven't heard from her in a long time. There must be a good reason why she sent you to me." 

"I, yeah, you see, I'm a, uh -" 

"She's like Aang," Bolin cut her off. 

"You're an Avatar?" 

"I-I think so? I can bend water, earth, and fire at least."

"She's been bending for less than two months and she's already a better earthbender than I am! How cool is that? Mama Murphy wanted her to come here so she could learn from the best." 

"I see." Katara pursed her lips. "I don't see why I can't teach you what I know."

"Mother! You can't exert yourself like that anymore."

"Tenzin, honey, your mother is old, not inept."

"Yes, thank you, Pema. Tenzin, you know this means you need to teach her airbending, yes?" 

"Of course, mother," he stroked his beard. "When you are done with her here, send her to the island and we'll begin there. I am not teaching her in the middle of Diamond City." 

"Uh...the island?" Korra asked.

"Tenzin lives on a small island his father and I claimed along with my brother and his wife. We did so to ensure airbenders, the rarest of the benders, would be able to train and live safely."

"Why wouldn't they be safe elsewhere?" Korra inquired. Tenzin spoke this time. 

"Because airbenders are so rare, there are certain cults that actively hunt us. Someone, many years ago, spread a rumor that airbender blood is the greatest healing agent, so much so that it would grant those who drink it near immortality. That rumor cost my father a lot of lives. The majority of the airbenders were wiped out in a massacre many years ago. My family are, as far as we know, the only ones left." 

"Wow, I'm...so sorry you have to deal with that. I can't believe people can be so cruel. Then again, the more time I spend in the wasteland, the easier it gets to believe that." 

"You speak as though you were not born in the wasteland. Where are you from?" 

"Oh, uh, here. Technically. I was in a vault for many years. But I wa-" 

"She was cryogenically frozen for two-hundred ten years." Bolin butted in again, and Korra shot him a dirty look. 

"What?! So you were alive before the bombs went off?" 

"Y-yeah," Korra rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm trying to find out what happened to my mother. Someone took her from the vault. They were after both of my parents, but my father wouldn't leave without me. They...they shot him, and sealed him away in his cryo-pod." 

Katara leaned forward and took Korra's hand. 

"I'm so sorry, child. You've gone through so much."

"It's...I'm dealing with it," she sighed. "I just want to understand what I can do here. I woke up and next thing I knew I was shooting fire from my hands. Mako, Bolin, and Mama Murphy taught me the basics, but I just feel like there's something missing, I just don't know what." 

"Perhaps," Tenzin began, "it is wise for you to go through some spiritual training. We can do that when you come to the island."

"I don't get what spirituality has to do with bending."

"Bending is something that comes from deep within us. It is embedded in our being. We must be able to tap into ourselves, become one with ourselves, in order to truly understand and control our bending the way it was meant to be. Without a grasp on who you are, it is impossible to fully master the elements. You must become one with the elements you control." 

"That...actually makes sense, I guess." 

"There is no guesswork involved. It is simply fact." 

"Uh, ok, Tenzin." She turned to face Katara. "How are we going to do this?"

"We'll start tomorrow. I want to get an idea of where you are with your training before I begin with your lessons. Bolin, will you be staying?" 

"No, Master Katara. As much as I would love to stay, I need to go back to Sanctuary to help Mako with the settlement."

"Very well. Then Suyin, Opal's mother, will help you with your earth bending. As far as firebending, we don't have anyone in the city that I trust enough to train you. Your firebending training will have to wait for now. I'll get a room set up for you so you will be comfortable during your time here. For now, feel free to roam around the city. It never hurts to get to know people." 

 

• • • 

 

**Diamond City**

**Boston, Massachusets**

**Year 2288**

Korra had been training with Master Katara and Master Beifong for five months. She was incredibly quick with picking up new techniques, and had amazing precision. Katara found that waterbending seemed to be her base element; the element that came to her naturally. She got to know Diamond City and its residents quite well over the past few months, and was a regular at Narook's. 

Often, on afternoons much like this one, she would go outside of the gates and walk around the perimeter. She would be out for about thirty minutes or so before getting bored and heading back inside the gates to stir up some trouble with the folks in the stands (she loved how easy they were to mess with), but today her plans were changed. 

She heard it before she saw it; the loud rumble of an engine. Korra stepped further away from the wall to try and get a better look. She didn't notice that the vehicle (more accurately, the motorcycle) rounded the corner until it slammed into her. 

 

The impact knocked her out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHO IS THAT ON THE MOTORCYCLE, HUH??? HUH????!?
> 
> I know that was really short. Next chapter will probably be longer. 
> 
> Probably. 
> 
> Also, don't get drunk at a networking event, folks.


	6. Six.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out who was on the motorcycle!
> 
> Spoiler: It wasn't a Deathclaw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks,  
> This chapter is super dialogue-heavy, and meant to push things forward a bit, and give you some more character backstory and whatnot.  
> Cool? Cool. 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> xx Mictec

 

**Diamond City**

**Boston, Massachusets**

**Year 2288**

Korra's head was pounding. It felt like someone took a jackhammer and started it up right behind her eyeballs. That...that voice didn't help, either. God, who was even talking to her? Why did she have to be so loud? She? A woman. Some woman, spirits-know-who, was practically yelling in her face. (In reality, she was speaking at a normal volume). 

 

"Oh, for fuck's sake, do you have to be so loud?" Korra groaned. 

"Oh my god, you're alive. Thank god you're alive."

"What the hell do you mean? Of course I'm alive. Why wouldn't I be alive?" 

"I...hit you with my motorcycle." _Oh. That explains this headache._

"What?" Korra tried and failed to open her eyelids. She was only able to squeeze them together to relieve some of the pressure. 

"You stepped into the road and I didn't see you until I rounded the corner and...oh god, I'm glad I at least saw you. If I hadn't put the brakes on this would probably be much worse. Can you open your eyes?" 

"Nope, tried that."

"Can you wiggle your fingers?"

"I really don't want to."

"Okay, but try anyway." 

"Fine," she wiggled her fingers. 

"And your to-" 

"Oh for - I'm fine!" Her eyes finally snapped open, and she looked upon perhaps the most beautiful person she had seen in her lifetime. "I'm...I'm fine," the words came out in a strangled whisper. Green eyes bore into her, searching for any signs of pain or serious injury. Long, jet-black hair cascaded down her shoulders, falling in loose curls. It was her lips that drew her attention; plump and painted a perfect crimson color which stood out starkly against her alabaster skin. They were moving, so she must've been talking, but Korra wasn't able to register what she was saying. The woman seemed to have noticed, because she folded her arms across her chest and raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "Shit, sorry, what?" 

"I said we need to get you to a healer," the woman sighed. 

"Oh. Oh!" Korra suddenly remembered her bending. "That won't be necessary, I can fix myself up." She unscrewed the cap of her waterskin and eased the water out with her fingertips. It started glowing a pale white as she guided it over her body, paying particularly close attention to her head. The pain of her headache was eased, but not completely gone. She would have to take it easy for a few days and let her body completely heal on its own. "There, that feels better. I'm fine. No need to go to a healer." 

"Okay, fine, but at least let me buy you dinner."

"No, no, it's ok, really." 

"Yeah, well, I insist. Come on, are you really going to say no to a free meal?"

"I...ugh, fine. Dinner." 

"Great!" The woman smiled brightly. "I'm Asami, by the way,” she said as she extended a hand to help Korra off the ground.

“Thanks,” the darker woman smiled up at Asami. “Oh, right, uh, I’m Korra." 

"Korra," Asami tested out her name. "I like it. It suits you. Come on, let's go." 

 

\---

 

Korra found that she actually really liked Asami. She was kind, considerate, gorgeous, and generally just someone she'd like to be around more often. 

 

"So, what brings you to Diamond City? I haven't seen you around before," Korra asked.

"I could ask you the same, I haven’t seen you around here before. I come here for parts and supplies when I need them. Aside from Bunker Hill this is the best place to get my hands on what I need. I was a scavver for a while, selling what I didn’t need and holding onto what I did. There aren’t many caps in that unless you really know what you’re doing,” she paused and took a sip of her Nuka-Cola. “Now I build things. Well, fix is a more fitting word."

“What, like a handyman or something?"

“No, more like an engineer. Most of the new structures you see in Diamond City were designed by me. A lot of the buildings were starting to fall apart, and Raiko would’ve had a crisis on his hands if I hadn’t stepped in and pointed out the faults. The Upper Stands were the worst of the bunch. I was honestly quite shocked they hadn’t collapsed."

“So you’re like a structural engineer? That’s really impressive! I wouldn’t even know where to start."

“Well, I dabble in structural engineering by necessity. My heart really lies with mechanical engineering. Some of the things that existed pre-war were incredible. I try to restore and improve some of the old vehicles I come across, like I did with my motorcycle. As far as I’m aware, I have the only functioning one in the Commonwealth.” Korra stared at her in awe, with noodles hanging out of her mouth. She added ‘ridiculously smart’ to her mental list of things that fell under ‘Asami.’ “What? You’re giving me that look again,” Asami laughed. Korra quickly swallowed the noodles and winced as they went down. _Chew, then swallow, Korra. Chew, then swallow._

“Nothing, you’re just… you’re pretty amazing.” Asami blushed and curled a strand of hair around her index finger. 

“Thanks, Korra.” 

“Where’d you learn all of that stuff anyway? I’m assuming you didn’t learn just by trial-and-error.” 

“My father taught me most of what I know,” Asami’s tone hardened and the grip on her Nuka-Cola bottle tightened, turning her knuckles white. Korra noticed, and decided not to push the subject. They moved away from the topic and fell into a comfortable discussion about how Korra came to Diamond City… with the details of the vault and her status as the Avatar unmentioned for now. Asami laughed at the mention of Mako. 

“You know, Mako and I were together for a little while."

“No fucking way,” Korra’s mouth hung open. "He seems like he’s got a permanent stick up his ass,” the engineer laughed again.

“He kind of does. He’s been through a lot, though. We met when he and Bolin were still fighting cage matches at the Combat Zone. I had always been friendly with them, but after Hasook was killed during a match, Mako took it really hard. I was going through a difficult time myself and, well, you know, misery loves company so one thing led to another. His and Bolin’s past with one of the raider gangs just outside of Goodneighbor caught up to him, and I couldn’t handle it, so I left. I haven’t seen him in years,” Asami said with a tinge of sadness. “I see Bolin here and there but we never talk about his brother. I’m glad to hear he’s doing alright.” 

“Yeah. He doesn’t say much, but I do like him. He seems genuine. Loyal. He really looks out for people, it’s pretty admirable."

“He always has. Everything he does he does for Bolin, and by extension the people that Bolin loves. They’ve only got each other in this world. Family is hard to hold onto in the Wasteland. Spirits know I’d give anything to have mine again.” Korra places her hand on top of Asami’s and gave it a gentle squeeze. 

“Me too, Asami. Me too.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was a little sadder than I wanted it to be, but that's where my head is right now so... yeah. It was a surprisingly difficult chapter to write. Writer's block will be the death of me. Let me know what you think.


	7. Seven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. This is a brand-new chapter 7. I'm so sorry I had to do this, but I hated the pacing and it was bothering me so, so much. I went ahead and made some minor (and major) changes to it.   
> I'd also like to apologize for not being as active as I wanted to on here, in regards to dishing out new chapters and responding to comments. I switched countries again. Yep. I decided to move back to the U.S. instead of just hanging around here for a month. Life has been crazy. Wonderful, but crazy. Once I have more time put aside to write, I'll post as often as possible. 
> 
> Thanks for your patience, and thanks for sticking with me. 
> 
> xx Mictec

**Diamond City**

**Boston, Massachusetts**

**2288**

 

The sun beat down on Korra's face. She was sitting on the roof, cross-legged in her latest attempt to meditate. Tenzin had shown up again a week before and guided her through her first attempt, saying how important maintaining good spiritual energy is to being a master airbender. She argued that she wouldn't be starting her airbending training for weeks but, of course, Tenzin wouldn't take no for an answer. She opened one of her eyes and looked around, and was startled by a voice coming from behind her. 

"I don't think that's how meditating works, Korra." Korra jumped to her feet and turned around to see Asami standing with her arms crossed over her chest and a smirk on her face. 

"Spirits, Asami, you scared the shit out of me."

"That wasn't the intention, but the outcome was certainly worth it." 

"Ass." Asami laughed and walked over to Korra. 

"So, are you going to tell me why you're meditating? You don't seem like the spiritual type."

"Master Tenzin told me that 'keeping in touch with your spiritual side is of utmost importance if you want to excel in your airbending.'" 

"Master Tenzin as in Katara and Aang's son? The airbender?" 

"That's the one." 

"Why would he be bugging you about that? You're a waterbender." Korra hesitated for a moment, reminding herself that Asami does not, and should not know about her status as the Avatar. Not yet, anyway. 

"Oh, uh, who knows? I guess he feels like you can apply it to the other forms of bending." 

"I wouldn't know."

"Asami, are there more benders than nonbenders out there?"

"You don't know?" 

"No, I ah, only recently found out I'm a bender, so I wasn't really into the history of it."

"I see. Short answer - no. Long answer? As far as we can tell it's pretty even. But you need to take into account some other factors. Along with benders we have super mutants, which are the product of a virus meant to accelerate evolution. They can't bend. I think it might be because they're completely immune to radiation, but we have no evidence that points to bending being a product of long term exposure to radiation, despite that making the most sense so... I can't be certain. What's also interesting is that Ghouls can't bend either, with the exception of those who were able to before becoming ghouls. I'm talking about people like Mayor Hancock. He's a firebender and a rare exception because he became a ghoul very recently. Most of the ghouls you see around predate the Great War."

"Wait so, you're saying that ghouls are over two-hundred years old?"

"Most of them, yes."

"Holy shit." Asami laughed.

“Yeah, holy shit is right. I wonder what things were like before the war sometimes. I would have loved to see the Commonwealth in its prime. I've heard it was clean, no rust, no decay. That the air was breathable and radiation wasn't as big of a risk as it is now. It sounds nice. Comfortable." Korra swallows hard and tries to bite back the tears she can feel forming. She takes in a shaky breath and smiles at Asami. 

"Yeah. That does sound nice." 

"Hey I've got to pick some stuff up from Arturo before I head back out. Join me?" 

"You're leaving today?" 

"Yeah. I've got to go home, finish up some stuff I've been putting off."

"Oh." Asami must've noticed the disappointment in Korra's voice because she reached out for her hand to give it a squeeze. 

"I'll be back. I can't say when, exactly, but it shouldn't be more than a few weeks."

"Okay. As long as I get to see you again."

"Of course, Korra." 

 

• • • 

 

Three months pass and there’s still no sign of Asami. It's gotten to the point that Korra has had to push her to the back of her mind and focus on her training. Katara has been an amazing teacher, and has been teaching her bending history along with combat and healing skills. In the past 200 years, different tribes were formed by dividing people by their bending, and each tribe developed their own culture and traditions. When Katara was a young girl, she traveled with her brother to outside of the Commonwealth, in search of the elusive (and presumed long dead) airbender tribe. The airbenders were the most peaceful of the four tribes, and detached themselves from worldly concerns and belongings. They found peace and freedom amongst themselves. While a large portion of the airbenders were Air Nomads, they were generally isolated people. For that reason, they were the smallest of the bending tribes. 

The Air Nomads were also, unfortunately, the victims of genocide at the hands of the firebenders, or the "Fire Nation," as they called themselves. Aang was the only survivor, and fled from his home to the Commonwealth. Katara and Sokka had found him half-dead near a lake north of Concord, when winter had rolled in and the ground was covered with snow. He was small and frail, had hardly eaten, and was bleeding from a large gash in his abdomen. Katara was unable to use her bending to help and Sokka was a nonbender. They carried him to an old cabin and tried to regulate his temperature and clean his wounds. He didn't wake up for five days. When he did, he told his story, and Katara and Sokka were determined to help him on his journey. Eventually, the Fire Nation was stopped, and Aang (after becoming a fully realized Avatar) united the tribes and founded Diamond City. 

 

"So he was the last airbender?" 

"That we knew of, yes." Katara nodded. 

"Is that why Tenzin and his family are so important?" 

"Well, that and he is Aang's son. You need to remember that avatars are an extreme rarity. There have only been a handful. His name carried a lot of weight, therefore Tenzin, along with his siblings and myself are seen as important people." 

"That...makes sense."

"You remind me of him so much sometimes. It's not just because you're the Avatar. It feels like part of his spirit is with you." Korra shifts and smiles awkwardly, unsure how to respond to that. "You are very close to finishing your training with me. I think another week and we can officially call you a master waterbender." Korra gaped at the old woman as she walked away. 

Naga padded over to her and nudged Korra's hand so it was resting on her snout. Korra moved to the floor next to her and stroked her fur. "Hear that, Naga? I'm almost done with my training here. Exciting huh?" She mumbled against her dog's neck. "I think that means that celebratory noodles are in store, don't you think? Yeah? Let's go get some." Korra walked out of Katara's home, Naga's tail beating against her thigh as they walked to the marketplace. 

 

• • •  

 

Korra was finishing her second bowl of noodles when she heard a crash come from Opal's place. Gunshots followed soon after. 

"What the fuck?" Korra sprinted towards Publick Occurences and saw a man with a laser rifle aiming it straight at Opal, who was baring her teeth at him. Korra acted quickly. She planted her feet on the ground and raised her arms above her, lifting up a chunk of earth and slamming it down on the man. Opal looked to her and then to the man, and then ran towards the dumpster in front of the All-Faiths Chapel. She called out for Korra, who rushed over. Asami was laying on the floor, propped up against the dumpster with a hand weakly pressed against her abdomen. Blood stained her fingertips.

"Hey, Korra," Asami rasped. 

"Shit, Asami, hold on a second."

"I'm not going anywhere." 

"Korra, please tell me you have some water with you." 

"I've got some, Opal. Asami I need to look at your wound." Asami lifted her hand to reveal a gunshot wound, which bled freely without the pressure. It was a clean wound, straight through, and semi-cauterized due to the heat of the laser round. "Ok Asami this is going to hurt, but it should start feeling better within a few seconds." Asami nodded and watched as Korra drew water from her waterskin and towards the open wound she had sustained. She pressed her head against Opal's thigh as Korra worked, and the sharpness of the initial healing wore away to a dull ache as her flesh was stitched back together. "Done."

"Fuck, you weren't kidding when you said that would hurt."

"Heh, yeah, sorry about that." Korra rubbed the back of her neck. 

"It's better than bleeding out. Thank you, Korra." 

"Don't mention it. We need to get you to Katara, I want her to make sure you're completely fine."

"Yeah, sure." Asami tried to get to her feet, but she was too weak from exertion and blood loss.  Korra squatted down and picked up Asami like she weighed nothing. "I see the guns aren't just for show." 

"Believe it or not, getting these babies does include rigorous strength exercises. They're of no use to me unless I can use 'em." Korra responded coolly, hoping it would avert Asami's gaze from her face, and growing blush. 

 

Katara cleared Asami with the promise that she would stay with her and rest for a few hours. Initially, she had declined, but Katara could be...very persuasive. She made a mental note to never get on her bad side. She was put up in the guest room next to Korra's, and was grateful to have her friends close by. Opal had dropped in to make sure she was alright, and Korra was nothing if not attentive. She sat by Asami's side for hours, where they talked about the mundane, until a comfortable but heavy silence fell between them. 

"Hey Korra, I have a question for you."

"Uh, sure Asami, what's up?"

"I wasn't - I wasn't going to ask, Opal said it was best to leave it alone for now but it would bother me otherwise."

"O-kay..." 

"You earthbent today." Korra's head snapped around and she looked at Asami with furrowed brows. "You're an Avatar, aren't you?"

"I uh..." 

"Look I know you must be keeping it a secret for some reason or another but you can trust me."

"I'm sorry, Asami. I wanted to tell you, but we just wanted to wait until I was further in my training to reveal it. I'm still... I'm still new to bending. I've only been doing it for a few months." 

"That's surprising. Seems like you've been doing it your whole life."

"That probably would've made things easier." Asami sat up on the bed and looked down at Korra, who was sitting on the floor. 

"I just want you to know that you don't need to hide from me, Korra. Any part of you." Korra met Asami's eyes and smiled at her. 

"Thank you." 

"Katara told me you're close to completing your waterbending training?" Korra nodded. "Maybe when you're done you can come with me for a little while, give yourself a break."

"I'd like that, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea right now." 

"Think about it, I don't need an answer right now," she shimmied back down the bed. "What I do need right now is sleep. I'll see you tomorrow, Korra." 

"Yeah. See you tomorrow." 

 

• • •

 

In the two weeks that followed, Korra completed her training. It was an unceremonious thing, simply Katara patting her on the back and Tenzin with his children and Pema in tow coming by Diamond City to offer their congratulations. She and Naga celebrated by getting noodles and spending the day with Opal. Asami had left a week before, on a job she said was urgent. She didn’t question it, of course. Korra found herself missing Asami more than usual, and wandered into the room that she stayed in for three nights while she recovered from her gunshot wound. She laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering where the wood that held this home together originated from. She turned on her side and opened the top drawer of the side table. She lazily rifled through the few items that were in there. Her hand hit the top of the drawer, and she felt a strange bump. It was plastic, and she pried it away from the wood. A holotape. She popped it into her Pip-Boy and pressed play. 

 

_“Wake up, Commonwealth. Synths are not your enemy. They are victims in this war as well. True, they were created by the Institute, but they were created as slaves. Thinking, feeling, and dreaming beings, utterly oppressed by their tyrannical masters. So join with us in fighting the real enemy - The Institute. Join the Railroad. When you’re ready for that next step, don’t worry. We’ll find you.”_

 

Korra headed straight for Opal’s place. She needed answers. 

 

• • •

**Publick Occurrences**

**Diamond City, Massachusetts**

**2288**

 

“Hey Korra! What can I do you for?” Opal stepped aside so Korra could enter her home. 

“Hey, Ope. I have some questions. About the Institute.” The Avatar plopped onto the ratty red couch in the middle of the living room. 

“Uh, ok. There’s a lot to cover. Where do you want to start?"

“Just… I don’t know, give me the rundown of what’s been happening with them."

Opal explained how the Institute targets people, kidnaps them and replaces them with synths to (she assumes) act as surveillance. The Institute’s eyes and ears in the Wasteland. No one knows exactly where they’re located, but they’re rumoured to be underneath the ruins of the C.I.T.. She goes on to say that there are three different types of synths that are commonly encountered: 1st generation; the skeletal synths. 2nd generation; the ones that look like test dummies, and 3rd generation; the ones that are damn near impossible to tell apart from humans. How their technology advanced so quickly from generation 2 and 3? Nobody knows. 

“Ok… what about this?” Korra handed her the holotape. 

“The Railroad? They’re an underground movement. They handle synth liberation. In my opinion? I think it’s a good thing. The Institute is the real enemy here, not necessarily the synths. Especially not gen 3’s.” Opal sighed and ran a hand through her wispy hair. “Look, Korra, I’ve told you just about all I know about the Institute. If you want to learn more, the Railroad is the best place to go. They’ve got this whole system in place, but you’re smart, you’ll figure it out. Start at Park Street Station. You’ll find what you need to begin there.” 

 

Korra thanked Opal, and walked back to Katara’s home. She flopped onto her bed, and studied the holotape once again. She sighed, and shoved it back into the drawer. _Maybe some other time._  



End file.
